Chapter Eight
An alarm was beeping. A slow, steady sound. Jay hadn’t been sleeping. How the fuck was he supposed to sleep? He’d left Willow upstairs, naked, in his bed. She’d been sleeping. He’d slipped downstairs to wait, hoping for word from West.
Instead of a call from his brother, he’d just gotten an alarm blast on his computer. He sat in front of the double monitors, his fingers flying over the keyboard. He pulled up exterior shots of his grounds, searching for the guards, but they weren’t at their posts.
They’re not at their fucking posts.
And the alarm had just shut off. Only he hadn’t been the one to deactivate the alarm.
He stiffened, right before his office was plunged into total darkness.
Jay knew someone had just cut the power to his home. He also knew that his generator would have power flowing back on within fifteen seconds. Jay yanked open his top desk drawer, counting as he did so. He found the weapon inside, he yanked it up, and he spun around.
Ten, nine, eight…
He heard the creak of his study door sliding open.
“I’ve got a gun on you, you sonofabitch,” Jay growled.
Seven, six, five…
He eased from his chair, slipped to the side. “Did you think I wouldn’t expect you to show up here? Why do you think I stayed behind? Because I don’t trust your ass.”
Two, one…
The lights flickered back on. And Jay found himself staring across the room at none other than Wyman Wright.
Except…the guy looked different.
Thinner. And his hair had been dyed a muddy brown. He wore contacts that turned his eyes green. The man looked as if he’d had a nose job, and his jaw shape was a little different, too. Rounder. If Jay hadn’t studied the bastard so thoroughly, if he hadn’t made Wyman Wright into his damn obsession, he might not have even recognized the fellow at first glance—
“Put the gun down, you fool,” Wyman snapped. The voice—the voice was the exact same. “We both know you aren’t a killer.”
“You don’t know anything about me.” Jay didn’t lower the gun. “Who else is in the house?” When he’d grabbed the gun from the top drawer, he’d also taken the liberty of triggering the alarm he had wired in that drawer. An alarm that would send a message to guards who weren’t at that location, but a secondary team that would be arriving within five minutes. He’d tried to have plenty of back-up plans in place, just in case.
“I didn’t bring any men in with me.” Wyman’s hands were at his sides. He didn’t look armed, but Jay was willing to bet the guy had a gun and probably a couple of knives on him.
“You just left them outside?” Jay snarled at Wyman, his body still tense. “If they’ve hurt the security guards I had on patrol—”
Wyman shrugged. “Your guards are unconscious, not dead. And my men are making sure they stay that way.” He exhaled. “I get annoyed when people point guns at me.”
“And I get pissed when a shady asshole breaks into my home and knocks out my guards, so I guess we’re even, huh?”
Wyman’s gaze went glacial. “We are a very long way from even.”
Jay knew he just had to keep the guy there for five minutes. Five minutes. “You look pretty good for a dead man.”
Wyman just glared at him.
Jay smiled. “She brought you out, didn’t she? I figured she would. Willow was different from the others, I knew it right away.”
“Willow is special.” Wyman’s jaw hardened. “Very special.”
Yes, she fucking is. And you won’t ever hurt her again.
Wyman glanced over his shoulder. “She’s upstairs, isn’t she?”
Jay stalked closer to the bastard. “You aren’t taking her.”
Slowly, Wyman’s gaze swung back to him. “You honestly think you can stop me?” His smile was as ice cold as his eyes. “I could have five super soldiers standing outside your front door. You—well, you don’t have any super soldiers at your beck and call, do you? Because you sent them out to hunt me down.” Now Wyman laughed. “Amateur move. You should have brought them all here, to keep you safe. Instead, you fell for my trap like the fool you really are.” His mocking stare swept over Jay. “You always thought you were so smart. I outwitted you at every turn. Now your soldiers are gone, probably fucking burning, and I will take Willow away.”
The hell he would. “I’m going to put a bullet in your heart.” His words were low and lethal because what Wyman had just said…
Your soldiers are gone, probably fucking burning.
No, no.
“What did you do?” Jay lunged for him and Wyman didn’t even try to retreat. The SOB just stood there with a smirk on his face, so certain of his power, so certain he had the upper hand.
“It’s not what I did,” Wyman murmured. “It’s what you did. You sent your friends straight into danger. It’s a good thing they can come back from death, isn’t it?”
But West couldn’t. His brother couldn’t. His brother wasn’t a super soldier.
Jay put the gun right against Wyman’s heart. “Whatever you did, whatever you think you’re doing, call it off. Right the hell now. Because if my brother has so much as a scratch on him—”
“Ah…the Delta Force operative? I mean, former Delta Force.” Wyman’s expression didn’t change. “Always thought he would make a great addition to my program.”
“You fucking—” Jay’s hand trembled on the gun. This was it. He’d kill the bastard. Right now. He’d taken him out, he’d—
“You think she’d forgive you for killing the only family she has?”
Jay blinked. What?
“Will you forgive her, if I kill the only family you’ve got?”
“What are you talking about? You’re nothing to Willow.” Nothing but her tormentor. The man who’d destroyed her life.
Wyman’s jaw hardened. “I watched from a remote video feed. This time, I made sure the explosion didn’t go off with the chopper too close. I made sure your only family survived. That means you owe me.”
“No, it means you’re a twisted SOB who likes to play God, that’s what it means. It means you think that no one can stop you, but you’re dead wrong.” Fury hardened every word. “You go after my family? Mine? You break into my home and threaten Willow? Threaten me? No, that’s not how this shit works.” Jay smiled, and he knew the smile would show his rage. His reckless fury. “I’m not afraid to pull this trigger. You think you know me? You don’t know a damn thing. I didn’t drag your ass out of the shadows so we could make a new deal. I did it so that I could end you.”
Wyman’s eyelashes flickered.
“You think I don’t have the PD in my pocket? You’ve got men outside, big freaking deal. My second team is coming in fast and coming in hot. So soon it will just be you. All by yourself with no back-up in sight. Then you’ll be a dead man, and my friends at the PD will only be too happy to buy my story about a break-in.” He laughed. “Thanks for changing your appearance. Now no one will connect the dots, Wyman.”
Fear flashed—just for one perfect instant—in Wyman’s gaze. But then the emotion vanished. “You really think you can shoot me in front of her?”
Her? Willow?
Instantly, his gaze whipped away from Wyman’s face, and he saw Willow, standing in the study’s entranceway, her body perfectly still. How long had she been there? How much had she heard?
“If you shoot me right now, Willow will see you for exactly what you truly are. What you’ve always been.”
Jay had to unclench his back teeth. “You hurt Willow. You tortured her. She’ll be glad you’re gone.”
“That’s one version of reality.” Wyman’s reply was smooth. “Not the right version, but one.” He paused, then he raised his voice as he said, “Willow, did I ever hurt you?”
“Don’t talk to her,” Jay snarled at him. In response to his words, Jay saw Willow flinch. Shit. Shit. “Baby, go back upstairs.”
Wyman started in surprise. “What? What did you call her?”
“You don’t need to see this, Willow. The nightmare is over. He won’t hurt you or anyone else ever again.” Jay fought to keep his voice calm. He won’t hurt you. He won’t hurt West. He won’t hurt anyone close to me. “Just go upstairs and forget him. Our plan worked. We lured him out, and I’ll take care of him.”
Wyman was still staring straight at Jay, but when he spoke, Wyman said, “Willow, this was your plan?”
There was an odd edge to his words. Almost…pride? No, impossible. That didn’t make sense.
Willow didn’t speak. She seemed stunned, rooted to the spot. Jay wanted to go to her, to pull her into his arms, but when you had a cobra in front of you, seconds away from striking, you didn’t look away. You didn’t move.
You attacked first.
“I had a bad dream.” Willow’s voice. The first words she’d spoken. “I think…I think he was going to hurt me.” Her words were too low, almost child-like. Not his normal Willow at all. She wore one of Jay’s old t-shirts, and it covered her from shoulder to mid-thigh.
At her words, the rage inside of Jay flared even hotter. “Wyman, you won’t hurt her—”
“It wasn’t me, you bastard!” Wyman shouted back. “I never hurt her! I saved her! I picked up the pieces—I’m the one who found her broken body. I saved her! I protected her! Just like I’ll always protect her.”
The guy’s voice—his face, his eyes—everything about him was suddenly blazing, and for just a moment, Jay almost believed him.
Almost.
But then, Jay wasn’t an idiot.
Fool me once, shame on you.
Fool me twice…
Jay wasn’t about to buy Wyman’s lies again.
“He…found me.” Willow’s voice again, even softer than before. “You said he wouldn’t find me, but he did.”
She wasn’t making sense. They’d planned for Wyman to take the bait, but, shit, maybe she meant that Wyman shouldn’t have gotten in the house. “I’ll take care of him,” Jay swore grimly. “I’ll—”
“I’m sorry, Willow,” Wyman said, cutting through Jay’s words. Only Wyman’s voice was different. Almost gentle. Sad. “I thought I’d protected you. He was smarter than I anticipated. More determined. And he’s hunting you again. That’s why you need to come with me, right now. We need to get out of here tonight. I’ll make you disappear again. He won’t ever find you. I swear it. You’ll vanish, and you’ll be safe.”
The hell that was happening. “Willow isn’t leaving.” Jay shook his head. “Are you just insane, Wyman? You’re done. Either I’m putting a bullet in your heart,” the option he preferred, “or my secondary team will be bursting in here any moment. We’ll lock you up. And then you’ll be answering every question that Sawyer Cage and the others have for you. You’ll tell us how many super soldiers are out there. Where they are. What you’ve done—”
“It’s over.” Wyman’s voice was flat. “Willow…it’s time to bloom.”
What the fuck was that shit? Why was—
Willow attacked Jay. She burst forward and drove her body against him. They flew back, and the gun discharged, thundering in Jay’s ears. He landed on the floor, and Willow grabbed his hand. She twisted his wrist, and the gun flew from his fingers. She drew back her left hand, her fist swinging toward his face.
Then she stopped.
Jay stared up at her. He wasn’t fighting her. He couldn’t fight her. Not Willow. There was no way he’d raise his hand against her. And he didn’t understand what was happening. Why it was happening. Willow wasn’t on Wyman’s side.
“Finish him, Willow,” Wyman ordered. “We don’t have time to waste. Find out his fears. See them. End him. Then we’re getting the hell out of here.”
Wyman sounded as if he were controlling her. As if…as if he’d turned on some kind of weapon inside of her.
No, Willow is the weapon. It was more like…
Jay stared into Willow’s eyes. And he saw no trace of the lover he’d known. It was like he was staring at a blank canvas. His Willow was gone.
How? Why? His mind raced.
Her fist was still balled, still just inches from his face.
“It’s time to bloom,” Wyman threw out his words again.
Her breath came faster. Rougher.
And Jay knew what had happened. The bastard was activating Willow. Hypnotizing her. Controlling her. Getting into her head.
But she was fighting Wyman. If she hadn’t been, Jay knew her fist wouldn’t be inches away. She would have already driven her hand into his face.
“Force his fears onto him! Knock the bastard out—and then we are leaving!” Wyman was shouting now.
“No.” The one word burst from between Jay’s gritted teeth. He wasn’t going to fight Willow. He would never hurt her. But she wasn’t leaving. Wyman wasn’t taking her. “If you go with him, he’ll hurt you, Willow. He’ll lock you up again.”
“I’m protecting her!” Wyman roared.
Jay ignored the bastard. His eyes were on Willow. Only her. “You want to see my fears? Do it, baby. I know exactly what I fear. You can come into my head, any damn time, because I’m not going to hide myself from you. See what I fear. See what scares me the most.”
She blinked. Once. Twice. And a little of the cold blankness left her gaze.
“I can tell you what I fear,” Jay continued, his voice low now, soothing, because he wanted to soothe her. He wanted to protect her. Always. “I fear losing you. I fear that bastard taking you away. Locking you up. But if he does, know this, Willow. I’ll find you. I won’t give up. I won’t leave you locked up. You can trust me. You can count one me.”
“No, Willow, you can’t!” Wyman fired back. “He’s the one putting you in danger. I’ve been protecting you. Always protecting you. He’s using you for his own ends. You can’t trust him, you can’t ever trust him!”
Outside, Jay heard the squeal of tires. The shriek of brakes. His men had arrived, the back-up team. “You’ve lost, Wyman,” Jay said, but he was staring up at Willow.
Her fisted hand had lowered, but she still straddled him. Her left hand was at her side, and her right still gripped his wrist. Willow wasn’t shoving his fears at him. She wasn’t fighting him. She was struggling to find her way back to him. To push back the compulsion that Wyman had used on her.
“No, I don’t lose.” Wyman cleared his throat. “Willow, move away from him.”
Her head swung toward Wyman. And Jay’s gaze followed hers. Wyman stood just a few feet away, and he had Jay’s gun gripped in his hand. Wyman aimed the gun at Jay.
“You’re the biggest threat to her.” A muscle flexed in Wyman’s jaw. “So you’re going to be eliminated. I always protect Willow.” He exhaled slowly. “Get off him, Willow. Come stand beside me.”
She didn’t move.
“Bloom, Willow. Bloom!” Wyman yelled.
Her body shuddered.
“Willow, dammit, I don’t want to shoot you!” Wyman’s face flashed with what looked like torment. “But you’ll come back.” His fingers were shaking around the gun. “I made it so that you’ll always come back. I just—I’m sorry, Willow. I have to do this. You should have just moved away from—”
He was going to shoot Willow. She might die again. She’d hurt, she’d bleed, and she’d go wherever the hell it was that she went when she died.
No. Jay surged up, shoving Willow back. “No!” Jay bellowed. He twisted his body, trying to protect her, even as he heard the blast of the gun. He tumbled Willow back onto the floor. He covered her with his body. Glared at her. “You stay down. You aren’t dying again!”
He heard footsteps rushing away. Freaking Wyman trying to escape. Jay surged to his feet.
Willow’s gaze was still glassy and cold, her body too tense. She looked confused and scared, and he wanted to protect her—
The best way to protect her is by stopping Wyman.
“I’ll be back, baby, I swear.” He chased after the bastard. “Wyman!” Jay shouted. “There’s nowhere to run!”
The jerk fired the gun again. The bullet sank into the frame of the door, sending chunks of wood flying at Jay. He ducked, and Wyman’s steps thudded again.
Sonofa—
“Freeze!”
The shout had come from the front of Jay’s house. He scrambled toward the entranceway, and he saw that Wyman had wrenched open the front door. The guy stood there, his weapon in front of him, pointing it at whoever was waiting outside.
“I’ve had a really shitty night,” came West’s voice. “Nearly got blown out of a chopper. Since I figure that’s your doing, you don’t want to piss me off anymore. Drop your gun.”
Wyman wasn’t going to drop the gun. Jay knew it. The bastard was the type to go down in a blaze of glory, and if he could, he’d take out as many others as possible in that blaze.
And he’ll take out my brother to hurt me.
Jay didn’t hesitate. He surged forward, and he slammed into Wyman. They tumbled through the front entrance, and they hit the ground even as the gun fired one more time. For a moment after that thundering blast, there was silence.
Then Jay became aware of the drumming of his own heartbeat, pounding far too fast in his ears. He flipped Wyman over. “Okay, you asshole—”
Blood. A whole lot of it. The porch lights shone down on Wyman, and Jay could see the blood that was covering the man’s stomach.
That last thunder of the gun—
Hell. The bullet had gone into Wyman.
“Get an ambulance!” Jay bellowed. He put his hands over Wyman’s wound. The blood pumped between his fingers.
Wyman groaned. “You…you want me…dead…”
“Yeah, I do,” Jay agreed immediately. “But I also want to know how many others you’ve experimented on. You’re answering for your crimes. You got me? You’re—”
The guy’s eyes rolled back into his head.
West crashed to his knees at Jay’s side. Flynn and Sawyer were there, too. Voices rose and fell behind Jay, but he didn’t look back. He kept his focus on Wyman Wright.
The boogeyman. The big, bad ruler of D.C. Only the guy was bleeding out in front of him. Dammit.
“We need him alive,” Sawyer gritted.
Jay just pushed down harder on Wyman’s gut.
“He’s the only one who knows how many test subjects are out there. Fuck.” Frustration boiled in Flynn’s voice. “He could have labs running right now. We need the bastard alive!”
“Then you’d better get an ambulance here fast,” Jay bit off. “Because unlike you two, he’s not going to come back once his heart stops.”
A sharp gasp had his gaze flying up. Willow stood in the doorway, her body swaying a bit. Her eyes were wide, her face far too pale. She stared down at Wyman in horror. Then her shocked gaze rose to lock on Jay’s face. “What did…” Her voice was barely above a whisper. “What did you do?”
Wyman’s blood was all over his fingers. The guy was gasping out, barely breathing, and Jay knew the man’s death would be on him. Literally on his hands. “Willow,”
A wild shriek erupted from her. She lunged toward him, her scream echoing in his ears.
Before she could reach him, Flynn grabbed her. He locked his arms around her stomach and hauled her back, having to use his own super strength in order to hold her in check.
“He can’t die!” Willow yelled. “He can’t!” Tears slid down her cheeks.
“What in the holy hell is happening here?” Sawyer muttered.
Jay never let up on the pressure. “He used some kind of trigger word on her, hypnotism or mind control or some freaking thing. Wyman got in her head.”
She head-butted Flynn. Screamed. Nearly lunged free.
God, it hurt to say, but he had to do it. “Take her downstairs to containment,” Jay had to force out the words from between clenched teeth. “Don’t so much as fucking bruise her,” he warned grimly. He’d made sure all of his properties had containment rooms. Rooms that he had specifically designed for the Lazarus test subjects. Some of those subjects weren’t threats—some were like Flynn and Sawyer. Totally in control.
But others—like Bryce King—they were unhinged. Dangerous to humans. Psychotic. And they had to be secured.
Right then, Willow was fighting like a woman driven mad. Sawyer had to lunge up and grab her when she nearly knocked Flynn out.
Flynn and Sawyer carried her back inside as she screamed. Her screams were like knives cutting into Jay’s soul. I’m so sorry, Willow. He’d said he wouldn’t lock her up again. And he’d just been the bastard to give the order.
He looked over his shoulder. Saw the men who were there, tense, waiting. West was in front of them, his hand on his gun. A gun that had been up and aimed—
At Willow?
“Don’t even think it, man.” Jay gave a hard shake of his head. “She’s going to be fine. She just needs—” Jay broke off because he didn’t know what she needed. But he’d figure it out. He’d give it to her. “Just make sure all of your men understand the situation.” Code words—what he really meant…Make sure your men know that what happened here will never be discussed—or there will be hell to pay.
“P-protect…”
Shit, Wyman was talking? He’d thought the guy had passed out.
“P-protect…”
“You think I’m going to protect you?” Jay demanded. “Hell, no. But I am going to keep you alive. You’ve got a lot to answer for—”
“Willow…Protect…”
Jay leaned closer because it was hard for him to hear Wyman’s words. “Of course, I’m going to protect Willow. Why do you think I had her taken inside? You are the one who hurt her, you screwed with her mind, you—”
“Mine…”
A growl broke from Jay. “The hell you say! Willow isn’t your creation, she’s—”
“Daughter…”
The last word was barely a whisper. If Jay hadn’t been so close to Wyman, he didn’t think he would have heard it. But he fucking did hear it, and his whole world seemed to stop spinning.
Wyman Wright’s eyes sagged closed. The bastard was barely breathing.
“No!” Jay shook his head. “You’re lying!” Had to be a lie. A trick. Wyman was trying to get into his head, that was all. “You’re lying!” Jay shouted even as he kept working on Wyman’s body. Trying to help the bastard. Trying to get him to breathe. To live.
“Talk to me, you sonofabitch!” Jay yelled. “Talk, fight!” Because the guy wasn’t dying. No way. Jay couldn’t let him die.
Daughter.